<p>A friend of mine wants to go to college. Her mother is unemployed, and father has now another family with 4 kids on his own. He operates a business together with his new wife, and somehow FAFSA said he can pay $50k per semester for his daughter's college. </p>
<p>Most of what they have in their business came from his new wife's side, and she now refuses to spend even a penny on her husband's child from previous marriage.</p>
<p>The girl is stuck now. She cannot borrow a lot since her future profession won't be any lucrative. She is now looking for a guy to marry so that she can only claim her own income on FAFSA, and not her parents. I personally never heard of such a thing before. What do you, people, think?</p>
<p>If she lives with her mother for more than half of the year, her mother’s income is what will be taken into account at colleges and universities that only use the FAFSA. However, she needs to be aware that the most generous institutions will also use the CSS Profile and/or their own financial aid forms in order to determine eligibility for their own aid.</p>
<p>What are her grades and exam scores like? What is it that she wants to study? Where does she live? If her parents live in two different states, where do each of them live? How much, exactly, is her father ready, willing, and able to contribute for her education?</p>
<p>Getting married will not necessarily make things easier for her. Usually, it just makes everything even more difficult. She has to consider more than just the effects that marriage would have on her FAFSA and tax situations. It will also affect many other things in her life.</p>
<p>I have no comment on the morality of such a move, but from a legal standpoint this makes sense. </p>
<p>There are very few ways students can become independent of their parents income, but marriage is one of them. A married student only claims the assets and income of themselves and their spouse. </p>
<p>So if she wants to marry make sure she doesnt marry someone with money unless they are willing to foot her tuition.</p>
<p>To happymomof1:
She lives in IL. Wants to major in fashion design. Scores/grades are ave (no scholarships to hope for)</p>
<p>To all others: Father there is all absorbed in his new family and business, he is one of those parents about whom we could sadly say he doesn’t care. He’s not giving anything because his new wife is not giving anything.</p>
<p>On FAFSA you <em>must</em> report income of both of your biological parents. You can’t just say about one, even if you don’t live with another. (The student lives with Mom)</p>
<p>Since her father files jointly with his new wife, all <em>her</em> income is also included in the formular FAFSA uses to calculate EFC. Dad’s new wife cares even less…and from what I know, they put all the income back into business (not much spare funds, taking into consideration that that is a big family on its own)</p>
<p>Interesting article above…Has anybody here or you know ever married someone for things like in-state tuition? If two out-of-state students marry, would they automatically qualify for un-state tuition? Really?</p>
On FAFSA, if her parents are seperated, I almost sure that she only need to report financial information of her custodial parent (her mom because she lives with her mom.)</p>
<p>To emphasize what 4kidsdad said above, if she is living with her mom and reporting her remarried father’s income on FAFSA, she’s doing it incorrectly. She should only report her mother’s income, if any. No need for the student to get married if her mother has zero income.</p>
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<p>Have your friend fill out FAFSA without her father’s income.</p>
<p>To vballmom and 4kidsdad - this is <em>very</em> helpful, thanks a lot! Of course, she only did one FAFSA, including her father’s and his new family’s income. To do it right now, should she just not mention the existence of her biol father at all, or should she report “$0” income for him?</p>
<p>She needs to follow the instructions. Once she indicates that her parents are separated I believe that the only lines that will be active will be the ones for the parent she lives with.</p>
<p>The FAFSA is a form that gathers information to determine eligibility for Federal grant and loan programs. </p>
<p>If biological parents are separated or divorced only the custodial parent income is used on the FAFSA.</p>
<p>If biological parents are divorced, but the custodial parent has remarried the income of the custodial parent and the new spouse are used on the FAFSA.</p>
<p>For CSS Profile Schools that require non-custodial parent income (and some schools that require this on their own form) a student may be required to provide income and asset information for both biological parents and their respective new spouses. This is not required on the FAFSA. The CSS Profile form is a separate form and is not free to submit. </p>
<p>If a custodial parent (and their current spouse if applicable) has little to no income the EFC could be zero… this would qualify the student for a $5500 pell grant, and the maximum subsidized loan… this student would also qualify for an unsubsidized loan to make the total direct loan amount $5500. This student might also qualify for work study and possibly a Perkins loan and/ or state grant and loan programs that use the FAFSA.</p>
<p>Here is the rub… most of the schools that offer the best aid also use the CSS Profile or their own form in addition to the FAFSA. On these forms often they will ask for a more detailed picture of total family assets, and ask for primary home equity (for both custodial and non-custodial family) in addition to any additional home equity. These schools will often ask for the full financial picture of custodial parent and new spouse and non-custodial parent and new spouse(if all of these exist). In the end schools consider paying for college the primary responsibility of the family. When awarding need based aid out of their own school coffers they will offer this aid to the students they want to enroll who have limited outside resources to pay for college. Whether or not your family WILL pay for college is not of their concern. </p>
<p>If a student’s custodial parent and spouse have little to no income and assets, but the non-custodial parent and spouse have high income and assets a situation could arise, even at a meets full demonstrated need school, where a student could receive full federal grants and loans ($5500 and $5500 for a freshman), any state grants or loans that use the FAFSA for eligibility, but receive no additional grant money from the university. The university expectation is that the non-custodial family will fill in the gap.</p>
<p>On FAFSA you <em>must</em> report income of both of your biological parents. You can’t just say about one, even if you don’t live with another. (The student lives with Mom)</p>
<p>Uh, no. Where do you guys get your info? </p>
<p>And, no, she doesn’t put 0 for her dad’s income…she just doesn’t list him at all since they’re divorced and she lives with her mom.</p>
<p>I will not comment on the morality of the move, but it is really, really surprising to me why few if any kids get married for tuition purpose. Seems like a no-brainer - marry your boyfriend, your best friend, your cousin - anyone you can trust. Save a ton on tuition, with no risk at all. Or, am I missing something and there is risk that I don’t know about?</p>
<p>Well, for one, there is absolutely zero certainty that you’ll get any more aid. Even if your efc goes to zero, Pell is only about 5550 max. Plus when you’re married it can come with potential legal responsibilities that you’re not prepared for.</p>